By Deborah Larsen
George Lowe Martin
George Lowe Martin was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 20, 1899, the son of Carey and Mina Tatman Martin. The Martin family moved to Rochester when George was a boy, and his father was employed as a conductor on the D.U.R. interurban line.
During World War I, George served in the U.S. Navy. After the war, he returned to Rochester and worked at Rochester Plumbing & Heating. In September 1942, George once again entered the U.S. Navy. He was stationed aboard the troop transport ship USS Thurston. The Thurston carried men and equipment across the Atlantic for the invasions of North Africa and Sicily. She then made another trip across the Atlantic to bring troops to England in preparation for Operation Overlord. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Thurston was anchored off Omaha Beach in Normandy, landing troops of the 116th Infantry Regiment for the invasion of France. Two days after D-Day, George sent a V-mail message to his parents in Rochester, informing them that he had survived D-Day and was “well and still in the fight against the Nazis.”
George was released from military service in early 1945 and returned to Rochester to resume his work as a plumbing and heating contractor. He also served on the village council and Rochester Planning Commission and was active in several community service organizations.
George Lowe Martin died at age 91 on October 23, 1991, and was laid to rest in Culpepper National Cemetery, Virginia.